In the heart of Damascus, 21-year-old Naya Ali finds solace in writing poetry and painting.
"Art in all its forms has a way of resonating with any human, no matter the background, country, gender, because art has no language," Ms Ali said.
She belongs to a new generation of young Syrians re-imagining their futures, while committed to embracing Syria's rich culture and humanising its people.
"I wanted to show the outside world how beautiful my country is because I realised … that when you say Syria people think of the war, and it really broke my heart," she said.
The abrupt end of the Assad family's five-decade rule this month saw celebrations at the release of prisoners and the potential return of refugees.
But as Syrians look ahead, many remain cautiously hopeful or dreading the worst.
For Naya Ali, the fear of the unknown is palpable.
"Syrians right now live in a constant state of happiness as well as fear from what our future is going to look like," Ms Ali said.
Documenting life in Syria
Like many in Syria, Ms Ali's life has been marked by shortages of electricity, food and medicine for more than a decade, since the war began in 2011.
She documents her daily life on TikTok, filming herself getting ready to leave the house and joking about not being able to wash her hair for days due to water cuts.
"I try as much as I can to keep my content on TikTok happy even when it comes to things that other people wouldn't consider that way," she said.
As Damascus was rocked by a barrage of Israeli air strikes, the 21-year-old filmed a TikTok video of her dad watering plants on the balcony.
"Damascus getting bombed [right now], and we all might die but my dad just won't let the plants die this easily," she captioned the video, viewed 1.5 million times.
She said Israeli air strikes were "creating a lot of fear for everyone here".
The UN secretary-general has condemned Israel's recent military actions, including launching more than 400 air strikes into Syria, which it claims is targeting weapons stockpiles and military infrastructure.
"Everything is kind of chaotic and messy right now and a lot of people are really confused and scared and nobody really knows what's gonna happen," she said of the air strikes.
The UN is also demanding Israeli forces withdraw from Syrian territory after they seized a significant stretch of land between the Golan Heights and Syria, a buffer zone under a 1974 agreement.
Israel has occupied the Golan Heights since 1967 and annexed it in 1981, a move the International Court of Justice deems illegal.
Despite this, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved a plan to expand settlements in the region, as critics and many Syrians accuse his government of using the current conditions for a land grab.
Calls for a secular state
With fears of the resurgence of extremism and international players taking advantage of the fragmented territory, many Syrians are looking to put up a united front.
Last week, civilian-led rallies in Damascus called for democracy, protection of Syrian women's rights and a secular government for the notably diverse country.
It comes as some minority groups in Syria fear persecution, remaining untrusting of Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa — formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani — and his extremist past.
Christian schoolteacher Abdallah Shaheen — who lives in Sednayah — said the transitional government must cooperate with all Syrian people.
"I feel comfortable, but I am not reassured because I see faces that we have not seen before and we do not know how they treat people, especially us Christians," he said.
Mr Shaheen said while many were afraid, the rhetoric from the new leadership had so far been "sound".
"[I wish] for Syria to be free and for all Syrian sects to coexist with each other and for Syria to return to progressing towards a better future through work and honesty," he said.
Transitional government treated with suspicion
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra, is considered a terrorist organisation by the United Nations and eventually cut ties with the Islamic State group and Al Qaeda in recent years.
Although HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani has promised an inclusive and stable Syria, some Syrians remain sceptical over how the leader has rebranded his extremist past and question whether it's part of a calculated strategy to garner support.
In 2014, Human Rights Watch reported that extremist groups like Jabhat al-Nusra and ISIS imposed strict laws on women, limiting their freedom and access to education and work.
These groups, including HTS, were also accused of human rights violations, including the abduction of women and the mistreatment of religious and ethnic minorities.
In 2019, HTS was documented arresting and torturing activists allegedly for exposing abuses or protesting or the group's rule.
Meanwhile, the Türkiye-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), which controls parts of north-west Syria, has been similarly accused of arbitrary arrests, torture, and other human rights abuses.
Local Damascus jeweller Ziad Mesyeaty said while he felt reassured by the promises made by Syria's transitional government, he was waiting to see what would happen.
"The first day, the whole world was afraid of what had happened, and they were two very difficult days, but after a day, I was at ease after the reassurances we received," he said.
Mr Mesyeaty said he did not believe anyone's peace had been compromised since the regime change.
"It is an excellent feeling that we live in peace and security … Hopefully, the safety will be preserved," he said.
"We are treated very well, but the anticipation remains for the coming days."
Calls for sanctions to be reviewed
As Syrians call for Western sanctions to be lifted, some 16.7 million people need humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations.
Some UN experts and Syrian economists say sectoral sanctions have worsened Syria's economic crisis in Syria, disproportionately hurting Syrian civilians and limiting their access to necessities like medicine.
Humanitarian workers have told Human Rights Watch that sanctions aimed at limiting government support have hindered aid efforts, making Syrians more dependent on emergency humanitarian assistance.
School teacher Abdallah Shaheen said as people continue to live without the minimum necessities, he hoped the global community would support the country's recovery.
"We are a people who have suffered a lot from the difficult living conditions because of the sanctions imposed on us as a people, not as officials and leaders, and we hope that the sanctions on Syria will be lifted," he said.
